Fejiro stood in the center of the carnage, his pistol trembling. The smell of ozone and burnt copper was so thick he could taste it. He looked at the bodies—men trained by the Republic, wiped out in under five minutes by something that moved faster than the human eye could track.

  The thought hit him instantly. He remembered the coordinates he had written down. Even before tracing them, he had an inkling of where they led. Ogun State. He remembered the case the Republic had warned him to abandon. The drama with his family had forced him to postpone that investigation, but there was nothing holding him back now.

  "The Emperor of Stars must be in Olumo," Fejiro whispered to the empty room. "But how can I find him when the Republic hasn’t?"

  After a moment of cold clarity, Fejiro realized the truth: this mystery killer wanted to be found. "He could have killed me if he didn't want me alive."

  "You're right."

  The voice didn't come from the hallway; it emerged from the shadows behind a rusted rice sorter. Fejiro spun, his gun leveled. "Show yourself! Now!"

  A figure stepped into the flickering light of a dying bulb.

  "After what happened to them, do you really believe that weapon is enough to stop me?" Kaelo stood there, hooded and calm. His sword remained sheathed.

  Fejiro’s mind flashed back to the warehouse logs from months ago. "You're the boy," he whispered, the gun still raised. "The one from the records."

  Kaelo ignored the observation. "My ally claims this is a gesture of goodwill. We also want to stop the Republic. You were sloppy, Detective; you let them find you. You could have died."

  Kaelo’s demeanor was cold and calculated, but Fejiro could sense a flicker of empathy beneath the surface. That drop of humanity was enough. Fejiro lowered his weapon, his knees finally giving out. He slumped against a crate, the adrenaline fading into hollow exhaustion.

  "They threatened my daughter. They broke my marriage. I've lost everything following your trail."

  "I'm sorry," Kaelo said softly. "I can't change the past, but I can promise you this: nothing will happen to your daughter or your wife."

  Kaelo walked over, his boots crunching on glass and brass shell casings. He looked down at the former detective—not with pity, but with a somber recognition.

  "Besides, you haven't lost everything yet," Kaelo said, reaching into his jacket to pull out an encrypted data drive. "The Republic is moving the Synthesis Hub to a rail-platform tomorrow night. If we hit it, we get the names of the sponsors. We get the legal proof needed to burn them down."

  Fejiro looked at the drive, then at the massacre surrounding him. "And what do you get, Kaelo? At the end of your revenge trail, what is waiting for you? You aren't naive. Not every enforcer is a bad person; some have families who care for them. Is this really your path to justice?"

  "The safety of millions relies on the success of this small group," Kaelo replied. "My morals are nothing compared to that. Ideals can't protect the world."

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  "But that doesn't make us judge, jury, or executioner. If we resort to murder to achieve our goals, then how are we different from the oppressors we fight?"

  "Maybe we're not." Those words stung both men. "The mission details are in here. The decision is yours, Detective. But the world could be better after tomorrow. I can't remove the corruption... at least, I can't. That part requires a good man."

  "I... I can't join you," Fejiro said quietly, his voice lacking conviction. "You saved my life, but you're still a murderer. I'm no longer an officer, so I can't bring you to justice, but I won't let you continue. I hope you understand..."

  Before he could finish, Kaelo moved—a blur of blue light. He knocked Fejiro unconscious with a precise strike. A sad smile touched Kaelo's face as he picked up the flash drive and crushed it in his palm.

  "You might be the one capable of changing things," Kaelo whispered. "I hope you are."

  Christian watched from a distance, cloaked in the shadows. Kano had sent him to supervise Kaelo’s first true field mission, and so far, the boy was making interesting choices.

  Kaelo picked up Fejiro’s unconscious body and relocated him roughly ten kilometers away from the bloodbath. He knew the Republic would send investigators, and he planned to draw them away from the detective. He began the trek back to the mill, but as his hand reached for the door, he froze.

  A surge of Nature Energy flared in the vicinity.

  Thanks to his grueling training, Kaelo’s detection radius now spanned roughly 2.5 kilometers—unless the user was a master of concealment. This newcomer had been hiding perfectly until now. Kaelo pinpointed the source; the person was likely activating their technique. He instantly primed his body for Reinforcement, still unaware that Christian was lurking nearby.

  Christian had detected the stranger even earlier, his four-kilometer radius giving him a wider view of the board.

  Kaelo didn't hesitate. He surged forward, closing the distance at high speed. The mysterious user detected Kaelo's approach at the seven-hundred-meter mark and stopped crouching. He stood six-foot-five with a muscular, mountain-like build and white-bleached locs that caught the moonlight.

  He stretched his frame and applied full-body Enhancement. Just as his defenses locked in, Kaelo burst through the window in a storm of glass shards.

  Kaelo drew his sword mid-air, aiming for a decisive strike at the neck. The man moved with impossible fluidity, dodging the slash by a hair’s breadth.

  He’s fast, they both thought simultaneously.

  I’ll have to use Max Reinforcement, Kaelo decided. He tried to build the charge, but the giant was already inside his guard. A sharp punch buried itself into Kaelo’s gut, forcing a spray of blood from his lips. A left hook followed, which Kaelo narrowly slipped, only to be met by a barrage of consecutive enhanced strikes to the chest. The man tried to sweep Kaelo’s legs, but Kaelo shifted just in time.

  Kaelo noted the style immediately. He fights like a boxer. And he hasn't even used his unique technique yet.

  Kaelo threw a lightning-quick counter-punch, but the man dodged it point-blank. How? Kaelo’s surprise cost him; a kick to the face followed by a heavy strike to the abdomen sent him flying across the room.

  From his vantage point, Christian noticed something Kaelo hadn't. The rogue user was wearing an artifact imbued with Nature Energy. Christian couldn't identify its function yet, but he knew it was dangerous.

  Kaelo dragged himself up, spitting blood. His left rib was cracked, and his right wrist felt broken, but he was grinning. The Max Reinforcement attack was fully charged.

  The giant grinned back. "You began charging the moment you were hit. You used the kinetic energy of my strikes to quicken the process. Even as you flew through the air, you didn't break your focus. You knew I couldn't close the gap fast enough to stop the build-up. You’ll be a worthwhile opponent."

  The man sounded genuinely enthusiastic. Kaelo felt an answering spark of excitement, the warrior's high overriding the pain.

  "You’re awfully happy to be attending your own funeral," Kaelo spat, blood matting his hair.

  "I’ll take great pride in your corpse. Make me proud, fighter!"

  Christian watched with growing interest. The stranger had better reserves, a powerful artifact, and superior experience—but Kaelo was adapting at a terrifying rate.

  It’s been a while since I’ve seen this look in someone’s eyes, Christian thought.

  Meanwhile, high above, a drone hovered silently. Through its lens, the mysterious voice watched the battle unfold, calculating the value of the "Star."